Description
The records of the Department of Mental Hygiene - Sonoma State Hospital consist of 139 volumes, 266 file folders, 173 photographs,
and 4 items spanning the period 1884-1966. The records are organized into one series of photographs and four subgroups: Board
of Trustees Records, Superintendents Records, Medical Records Division, and Fiscal and Facility Files.
Background
The California Home for the Care and Training of Feeble-Minded Children was created in 1885 (Statutes 1885, Chapter 156) and was originally located in the town of Santa Clara. The Home was charged with caring for children
between the ages of five and eighteen who were "incapable of receiving instructions in the common schools." Soon after its
official creation, the facilities proved to be inadequate. In 1889, the William McPherson Hill farm, some 1,660 acres and
near the town of Glen Ellen, was purchased for $50,000 as a site for a new home. On November 24, 1891, the physical move was
made to the new site. The name of the institution was changed to Sonoma State Home in 1915 (Statutes 1915, Chapter 60).
Extent
139 volumes, 266 file folders, 173 photographs, 4 items
Restrictions
For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication
is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility
for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives
collections.
Availability
While the majority of the records are open for research, any access restrictions are noted in the record series descriptions.